Finding Light in the Darkness

Category Archives: beauty

I think that this is what the country needs after so many years of violence and fighting. Iraqi hairdressers and beauticians gather in Baghdad to show off their talents at the Make Up, Hairdressing and Fashion Show, a symbolic move to empower the people and break from fear that has gripped the country for years. The festival was the first of its kind since 2003 US led invasion and violent aftermath. This latest effort in a series of events has benefited the residents of this once dynamic city in the Middle East as a decline in violence has become more apparent. “The most important thing about this festival is spotlighting the brightness of Iraqi women, which has gone unseen by the world,” said Nadya Hamza Fuad, one of the organizers. She continued to explain,” Darkness used to dominate, and the light of beauty was extinguished 10 years ago, especially in women’s salons. Society has been held back because of the dark period.” The festival brought together a range of participants who as models were dressed to the nines and made up by beauticians and hairdressers who showcased their talents. The event was held in two conference rooms where experts showed the aspiring beauticians tricks of the trades and best practices, while hairdressers showed their skills to onlookers before their models strutted on the catwalk. This is in sharp contrast to years before, when tens of thousands were killed in insurgency ans sectarian wars that followed the ousting now executed dictator Saddam Hussein. Religious extremists in particular would target hairdressers, most of whom closed their shops, causing women, few of whom were veiled pre 2003, were forced to cover themselves and stay home. Even though violence has dropped, Baghdad attacks are still common and remains one of the world’s most dangerous cities. The one day festival was limited to word of mouth to avoid the attention of militants who would carry out attacks in Baghdad and across Iraq.

I love this guy, why not give peace a chance? You never know Pakistan you might like it. In Karachi, Pakistan, youth leader Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi has found a way to counter the violent message preached by the radical Islamic groups in his country. His weapon of choice is his three wheeled motorized rickshaw with his overwhelming message of peace you can’t miss. Radical Islamists have used the rickshaws to market their religious warfare slogans to gain support in India and Afghanistan and foster hate in the United States. Zaidi is turning that message on its head by running a fleet of rickshaws with peace slogans and decorated in colorful designs. According to the Huff Post, Zaidi the head of the Pakistan Youth Alliance said,”We need to take back this romanticized art form and use it for peace sloganeering and conflict resolution.” Domestic Taliban militants have waged a bloody insurgency across the country killing thousands of people in recent years, while many militants have focused their fight on U.S. led forces in Afghanistan and battled for control of Kashmir with India. Zaidi’s crusade is focused on Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and home to 18 million people, to begin his peace rickshaw project. The Youth Alliance worked with 200 students in the conflict prone city to come up with designs and slogans utilizing common Urdu street expressions with a peace twist like “Hey dude, don’t tease” into “Hey dude, don’t fight.” One of the more direct slogans being used is “I’m driving a rickshaw, not a bullet.” Initial funding through donor who wish not to be credits has allowed the group to decorate 5 rickshaws and plans to decorate 50 more in Karachi. The plan is to spread the fleet through the country once more funding is available. A radical Islamist group such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa have long used rickshaws to promote their messages and pay their drivers $5 to carry their slogans like “War against India will continue until the liberation of Kashmir.” Mohammed Salahuddin, a driver of the peace rickshaw, says it has helped his business even made people choose his rickshaws over others. Zaidi is also discussing putting a peace rickshaw in front of the Pakistani Embassy in Washington with Pakistan’s ambassador to the U.S. Sherry Rehman. Like Zaidi, I know this won’t solve the problem in Pakistan but maybe it will help the people to find peace and move toward a more peaceful society there and in the world.

Man picked out a $50,000 violin from the trash after it is cleaned up and restored. This is why dumpster diving is a lucrative business another man’s trash is another man’s treasure. The man brought the violin for appraisal and found out it was made by Giuseppe Pedrazzini, one of the most famous Italian violin makers ever. The appraiser said, “After it’s cleaned up and put in good condition, would have a value of around $50,000.” This is the one instance where a man can give his wife a gift out the trash and the wife be super excited.

The tragedy that is Marilyn Monroe and her last days on this earth remain a mystery until now. I encourage you to read the article because it will make you rethink the possibility of suicide as the cause of death. Apparently our government was monitoring her for communist activities at or around the time of her death. Many still believe that this tie had something to do with her death. Foul play anyone?